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Long Live the Queens
-Scorn is back yet again at the grand hive, finding herself spending much more of her time here lately. Not that it was much of an issue. In fact she's quite delighted to immerse herself in the hive more often, that vain side of her self enjoying the humble greeting of others when she passes. But today forgoes idle wandering and goes about the tasks at hand, one of them being to observe the hatchlings this hive produces. "They appear quite well fed." The High Queen muses while observing a small group of early instars being tended to by one of the resident nurses. Kneeling beside one, she can't help an amused smile when one grabs her finger in its pincers. Meanwhile a large spider mech, her personal nurse Viscera, steps up beside her and nods while looking up from his datapad. "Cybertron appears to be lacking in a few Animatronian nutrients that would benefit them further, but it appears that they'll grow into fine additions." -Zephyr, on the other hand, does NOT spend a great deal of time in the Great Hive. But she has her own reasons for this. However, she's here now and, entering into the Brooding Chamber she pauses to take a look around. Behind her are a trio of butterfly drones. Seeing the mantid Queen and her spider companion, she inclines her head in greeting, antenae twitching slightly. "Good cycle," she says softly. -A shift in the wavespeech patterns of the surrounding area draw Scorn's gaze from the instars the moment Zephyr enters, optics seeking out and darting to her like a hawk. Antennae twitch in kind to the greeting, but it takes a moment for the mantis to fully register the butterfly, too busy eyeing her entirety as if she were competition. But soon the queen is standing to her full height and offering Zephyr a tame, courtly smile when approaching her. "And a good cycle to you." Stepping up before her now, Scorn folds her arms neatly at her back in militaristic fashion and cocks head ever so slightly while leaning in. "I've been hearing whispers of another Queen moving about the hive. I would assume that is you, yes?" Her smile grows to show the bare hint of teeth as a brow lofts. "A pleasure to meet you all the same, though. Do tell, what is your name?" -"I am Zephyr," the younger queen responds with a half-bow. She is far less militant in her bearing, but who ever heard of an aggressive butterfly? "And yes, I am a Queen. I came from one of the very deep hives and have only recently made my way to the surface." Nothing about her posture is trying to assert dominance. It isn't servile, per se, but it's clear that she is deferring to the mantid. -"Zephyr.." Scorn repeats softly, commiting the name to memory, as well as everything else about her. Butterfly or not, she is still cautious, though eases some at the other Queen's deference. Respect is the easiest way to avoid her ire, so Zephyr is doing quite well so far. "A deep hive? How curious.. I must admit I have yet to venture so deep into Cybertron's systems, but I'm entertaining the idea. Perhaps soon I shall visit." Relaxing her stance, Scorn eyes the butterfly clones a moment before continuing. "What would bring a Deep Queen to the surface, if I might ask? And one so young.." She smirks, lips sharpening just so at the edges. "I would have thought those far enough below would not care about what's been going on on the surface." -"In our past we were known to work with the surface dwellers in a more even way. But for a long time now we have been used, abused, and treated as such lesser creatures simply because we have a more efficient way of speaking and organizing." Zephyr speaks with a great deal of disdain. "When many of our people turned savage and violent to protect themselves, I feared that the Hollows might decide to try to exterminate us all. For this reason I decided I had to come to the surface to see if anything of the situation could be salvaged. I practiced their strange, ineffecient speech before coming and gathered what little intelligence I could. There are those who are fighting for equality, and I wanted to make sure our people were part of that equality." Then she smiles faintly. "Besides; I was made to fly, not remain cooped up in those tunnels." She fans her wings slightly. -Scorn keeps a more neutral expression while Zephyr speaks, listening carefully and curiously of the situation she was quickly being brought up to speed on. "Such an adamant sense of justice is refreshing to hear." She finally says, smirking softly and motioning down the long corridor. "Come, walk with me. It would not do to just stand around and get in the way of work." And before Zephyr can reply, Scorn turns on a sharp heels and begins striding off at a casual pace with Viscera trailing behind. Once on their way she continues speaking, eyeing the butterfly from the corner of her optics. "I will agree that the situation is very troubling. So much so that I am considering lending my aid. From what I gather, these hives have never experienced full on war with these 'hollows' as you call them. Skirmishes and raids do not prepare warriors for the true fight, so there is much training and planning to do." For a moment she remains quiet, optics ahead now and a look of deep thought on her face. "..I do not think they would exterminate you entirely. You are far too valuable a resource. Still.. these other fighters of equality you speak of. Would they happen to be called the Decepticons?" Calculating gaze returns with slight turn of her head Zephyr's way. "If so, tell me of them, if you would be so kind." -Zephyr moves to go with the elder Queen. Two of her drones are dispersed elsewhere, so it is only her and one silent drone trailing behind her. "I am no warrior myself; we're more skilled at energon collection than anything else. But it is something I'm willing to fight with. Frankly, Cybertron needs us, and if they will foolishly persist in thinking we are so low, they are in for a nasty surprise." Her optics glint at the thought. "They might not exterminate /all/ Insecticons, but we Queens are a threat. They neutralize the drones by killing off the self-awares, and then work them to death. This has to stop." Her antennae twitch forward at the mention of the Decepticons. "Some of them are brutes, unintelligent and violent. Others of them, however, have visions of the future and we would do better to cast our lot with them rather than against them, if we are to be involved at all," she says, perhaps a bit too carefully. "I have seen how they treat the lower castes and so-called disposables, and many of them have the wisdom to see that we are useful." -The air around Scorn seems to bristle slightly at those last words of Zephyr's. Her gaze sharpening on the younger femme. "Deeming us 'useful' puts us in the same position as being under the thumb of the Senate's followers. It suggests we are mere tools to be used for someone else's greater good." That said, she calms some and presses lips into a thin line. "No, we have our own motives. Our own goals. We are not to be used by the Decepticons to get to the goal. Instead we must form an alliance. To see each other at equal height. The reputation of Insecticons on this planet disgusts me, and I will be more than happy to see that all, even our allies, view us as the same." Letting the air settle from her speech, Scorn offers a smirk while resting a hand upon Zephyr's shoulder. "And I will agree that we are indeed a threat. So much so that I believe it may soon come to pass that we return all our brethren to where they belong. Take them back from the enemy and teach them the truth while bolstering our numbers." -"If you choose to see it that way," Zephyr says mildly. "I choose to see it as being more important because we /do/ things instead of just sitting back and waving our hands and making others work," she points out. "This Senate that promotes the use of our people, and their own people, in such a way...they do nothing except make decisions; they perform no action that makes them worthy of their places. They are selfish and inefficient." She has her own way of seeing things, and while they aren't diametrically opposed to Scorn's, they are different enough that she's not merely parroting the mightier Queen. "I don't know how things got to be this way, how we became so exploited, but I do know it is something I don't accept. If the Decepticons are the best way to make sure things change, then that is the route I am willing to take." She tilts her head to the side as she regards the other queen. "Have you met many of them yet?" -"You make a fair point." Scorn muses, looking over Zephyr thoughtfully and smiling goodnaturedly. "Hm.. I would be curious to see you command a large hive with that sort of thinking. Despite your age I must say you show potential to be a very efficient Queen." Quite the compliment from the High Queen, though she only offers the one and no more. There is no reason to shower praise, in her opinion. "And I have not." She replies, slowing her pace until she stops before a long line of still maturing pods and overlooks them while speaking again. "I hope to do so soon, however. Preferably I would like to speak with their leader, this Megatron. I simply need a way of contacting him, though, without exposing myself to the Senate." It wouldn't do to have her diplomatic immunity suddenly ending if they learned her motives. -Zephyr looks quite pleased at the compliment and nods her head in acceptance of it. She doesn't look for more; she doesn't need more. If someone deems her worthy of a compliment she will take it without reservation but she won't seek them out. Either her actions and words speak well for her, or they do not. "I have met a few of the Decepticons already. I could certainly see if Megatron would be willing to meet with you. He has quite the commanding presence. Not quite like a Queen or Seeder, but something akin to one, if that makes any sense." It's the best way she can describe it in her world view. "He is not an idle leader like the members of the Senate; he is a mech of action." -Now this is what truly grabs Scorn's attention. Antennae rise and she turns her entirety to face Zephyr, looming close to the butterfly with a controlled, pleased smile while placing hand upon sholder once more and giving a soft squeeze. "Full of surprises, aren't you... But yes, I would be most grateful if you would do that for me. Should you be able to, I will personally teach to fight as a token of my thanks. You will all need the knowledge soon, and I will be sure you are prepared." As for the comparison of Megatron to a Queen/Seeder, Scorn merely chuckles softly and gives Zephyr a soft pat. "I understand your meaning. If he is as competent as a leader as you and others claim, then I eagerly await meeting him face to face. This will be a great alliance, I'm sure of it." -Zephyr doesn't seem to be shy about the contact from another Queen. Hollows are one thing, but she's fairly comfortable around her own kind. Besides, there is no point fussing about a much stronger Queen; better to be recieving praise than attack. She smiles faintly. "This world is full of surprises," she says, "and I have to keep up or be left behind." "I won't go on too much about him; either you will find him tolerable when you meet him, or you won't. I wouldn't even try to sway your judgement." -Scorn's smile grows into a broad, toothy grin and she chuckles yet again. "Too true, too true. In any case, I'm growing a bit peckish, so let us continue this over a meal, yes? Come." It's likely that Scorn won't take no for an answer, seeing as she's already attempting to usher Zephyr along towards the upper areas of the hive. It would give them a chance to speak more at least, in any case, and the best conversations really do pop up at the dinner table.